Expendable depot pallet box



F. H. WILEY March 1, 1966 EXPENDABLE DEPOT PALLET BOX 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Sept. 5. 1964 1 E l c March 1, 1966 F. H. WILEY EXPENDABLE DEPOT PALLET BOX 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 3, 1964 W. f e 5 7 0 d A w 0 k .,w. M wuwvnz` e THW, E 2 mg 6 m 6/. B l f 4 M6 March l, 1966 F. H. WILEY EXPENDABLE DEPOT PALLET Box 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 3, 1964 United States Patent O 3,237,839 EXPENDABLE DEPOT PALLET BOX Frederick H. Wiley, Palos Heights, Ill., assigner to International Harvester Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of New Jersey Fiied Sept. 3, 1964, Ser. No. 394,130 Claims. (Cl. 229-23) This invention relates to pallet boxes and the like. Particularly it relates to improvements in shipping anid storage containers adapted for vertical stacking.

For shipping of articles, wooden containers are frequently indicated because of the relative ruggedness of construction available when compared with shipping containers fabricated from materials such as corrugated board and the like. However, while the containers fabricated from corrugated board may not always be suitable because of lack of adequate strength for the articles to be carried, or because of adverse conditions under which the shipment will occur, wooden boxes may be inadequate or unsuitable for at least one of the following reasons.

A wooden container generally is sufficiently costly that the shipper of goods will want the container paid for by the receiver or returned. If the container is to be paid for, such cost when added to the cost of the goods may be suiiiciently great to make the total cost of the goods too high for the purchase thereof to be attractive. In the event the container is to be returned, additional handling, an accordingly additional expense, is involved in preparing the container for return and shipping it back.

Furthermore, wooden containers generally are much heavier than corrugated board containers of like size. Consequently, freight costs for shipping such wooden containers are higher than those for comparably sized Corrugated board containers.

Additionally, a wooden shipping box is generadly made up or formed at a box factory, away from its place of use, and consequently it is shipped from place of manufacture to the place of use in such made up form or condition. Therefore, a shipper using wooden boxes may have the following expenses: Cost of transporting unused made up boxes from box factory to a warehouse or depot; cost of storing made up wooden boxes at such warehouse or depot, plus the cost of transporting such made up boxes from warehouse or depot to the place of use or packing.

The foregoing costs are much greater than corresponding costs in connection with corrugated boxes available in knock-down or blank form which can be stored in less space and handled with greater facility. A knockdown tbox or box blank of corrugated board generally or conventionally is transported as a blank to place of use or packing where the blank is made up or formed.

An important object of the instant invention is to provide an improved -container of the class described.

A further object of the instant invention is to provide a container which has substantially the strength or rigidity of a wooden box but which is available at less cost than a wooden box and at a cost which is more closely akin to that of corrugated board.

An additional object of the invention is the provision of a combination box fabricated from corrugated board and wood and which can be quickly and easily assembled from a blank or blanks at or near the point of use, by unskilled operators with inexpensive tools.

A yet further object of the instant invention is the provision of a box of the class described which by reason of its rugged construction is adapted for re-use.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a pallet box and the like of rugged construction but light weight, whereby the cost of shipping in such box 3,237,839 Patented Mar. 1, 1966 is low, the box is inexpensive, and, accordingly, from the standpoint of the shipper, expendable.

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon consideration of the following description and appended claims, when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein the same reference characters or numerals refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views.

On the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the instant invention, hidden parts being dotted for the purpose of illustration.

FIG. 2 is a partially exploded perspective view of said embodiment taken from the same position as FIG. l.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 3 3 of FIG. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 4 is an end elevation of the bottom container member.

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 5 5 of FIG. 4 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the blank or mat employed in making up the bottom container member.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the blank or mat employed in making up the top container member.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a modified embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 9 is -a cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 9 9 of FIG. 8 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. l0 is a plan view of the blank 4or mat employed in forming the bottom container member of the modified embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a side elevational View of the bottom container member shown in FIG. 10.

Referring now more particularly to FIGS. l, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 which show one form of the invention, and having specific reference initially to FIGS. 4, 5, 6 and 7, from a description of which it will be understood how the device easily is folded and is secured together, -a mat or blank is provided of the bottom box section generally designated by numeral 10. The bottom blank or mat is of general rectangular configuration. The blank or mat of bottom section 10, except as hereinafter noted, preferably is fabricated from conventional cardboard, paperboard or the like.

The rectangular portion of the mat or blank of bottom section 10 comprises side members 11 and 12 which are disposed along opposite sides of a base or bottom 13 with which such side members are integral, however from which they are defined or bounded by parallel lines of scoring or creasing 61 4and 62, respectively. Said lines of scoring 61 and 62 provide means along which side members 11 and 12 can be bent upwardly from the position shown in FIG. 6 to the vertical positions parallel to each other, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3.

A pair of straps, bands or flaps 14 and 15, the widths of which, respectively, are substantially the same as that of the base 13, along their inner end portions are coextensive with said base. Said straps or bands 14 and 1S are integral with floor, base or bottom 13, but therefrom they are defined at the opposite ends of said oor, base or bottom 13 by parallel lines of scoring or creasing 16 and 17, respectively. Bands or straps 14 and 15 are bendable along respective lines of scoring 16 and 17 into parallel planes perpendicular to the base or bottom 13 and at opposite ends thereof, a direction upwarldy toward the viewer from FIG. 6. The bands or straps 14 and 15 extend trans-r versely of the side members 1-1 and 12 to which they are substantially perpendicular.

Small rectangular extensions, ilaps or ears 18 and 19 extend from the inner left end portions of lower side members 11 and 12. Said extensions, aps or ears 18 and 19 are integral with side members 11 and 12, but therefrom they are defined respectively by lines of scoring v63 and 64 which are coextensive with line 16.

The height of each of the extensions or ears 18 and 19 is substantially equal to the height of the band or strap 14. When seen in FIG. 6, said ears or flaps 13 and 19 are disposed at opposite ends of band or strap 14. They are bendable along lines 63 and 64 into spaced apart vertical positions at right angles to the respective side members 11 and 12 inwardly toward each other from the vertical position of said side members, as seen in FIGS. l, 2, and 3, to overlap the opposite end portions of the vertically disposed band or strap 14.

At the opposite end of the blank 10, a pair of ears, flaps or extensions 20 and 21 extends outwardly from the side members 11 and 12. Said ears, flaps or extensions 20 and 21 are integral with said side members 11 and 12 but defined therefrom by lines of scoring 22 and 23 which are in alignment with the opposite ends of the line of scoring 17.

The ears, aps or extensions 20 and 21 in the mat or blank are disposed at opposite ends of the strap or band 15, as illustrated in FIG. 6. Said ears, flaps or extensions and 21 may be creased, bent or folded along respective lines of scoring 22 and 23 into spaced vertical positions at right angles to respective side members 11 and 12 inwardly toward each other from the vertical position of side members 11 and 12, as shown in FIGS. l, 2 and 3, to overlie the opposite ends of vertically disposed band or strap 15.

A pair of slats or cleats 24 and 2S, which may be fabricated from an exceedingly inexpensive wood, have their inner end portions rigidly secured to the opposed and facing surfaces of lower side members 11 and 12 by suitable fasteners such as staples or the like 26, only some of which are numbered in the drawings. The slats or cleats are shown as rectangular in shape and rather thin. In practice, l x 4" wooden cleats of suitable lengths may be used.

The slats or cleats 24 and 25 are disposed substantially midway between the opposite ends of the lower side members 11 and 12; and as illustrated in FIG. 2, the upper end portions 27 and 28 of said cleats or slats 24 and 25 extend vertically in opposed and parallel positions out of the lower portion of the box or container. The cleats or slats 24 and 25 comprise medial vertical supports or frame members for the pallet box,

Attention is now invited to the opposite substantially identical, but facing, end members generally designated by the numerals 29 and 30 and which are shown in FIGS. l, 2, 3, 4 and 5. As clearly illustrated in FIG. 2, each end member 29 and 30 comprises a substantially rectangular framework composed or made up of a pair of parallel side cleats or slats 31 and 32 and parallel top and bottom cleats or slats 33 and 34, respectively. The fabrication of said cleats 31, 32, 33 and 34 may be of wood. In such event, 1" x 4 cleats of selected lengths are suitable. The opposite end portions of the top and bottom cleats 33 and 34 of each of the end members are respectively connected to the tops and bottoms of the side cleats 31 and 32 by any suitable fasteners Well known in the art.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, a at plate or sheet 35, fabricated preferably from corrugated board, occludes, covers or is formed over each framework opening 36 by being fastened to the outer end surfaces of such framework, in any suitable or conventional fashion. The end frame members 29 and 30 are disposed in opposite end portions ofthe lower box section with their outer portions including opposing plates or sheets 35 forming the opposite end surfaces of the box. The disposition of said end members is such that the openings 36 in the frames are directed inwardly of the box. Suitable fasteners such as staples or the like 37, only some of which are shown in the drawings, fasten the lower end portions of side cleats 31 and 32 to the side members 11 and 12 respectively, as illustrated in FIGS. l and 2.

The upper portions 38 of the side Vcleats 31 and 32 extend upwardly beyond the upper limits of the lower side members 11 and 12 a distance equivalent to the height of the extensions or outer portions 28 and 29 of the cleats 24 and 25.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the lower outer end surface of each of frames 29 and 30 abuts against the inner surface of a respective of the straps or bands 14 and 15. By means of fasteners 39, such as staples or the like, which connect flaps or ears 18 and 19 and flaps or ears 20 and 21 to the bands or straps 14 and 15, respectively, the end frame members 29 and 30 may be fastened Vor secured to the inner surfaces of the bands or straps 14 and 15, respectively, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings.

The top box section or cover ris identified ygenerally by the numeral 40. In its formed or made up condition, it is clearly seen'in FIG. 2. The blank or mat for top box section 40 is illustrated in FIG. 7.

The blank of the top section 40 is substantially rectangular, as illustrated in FIG. 7. The length of the blank, that is, the length of the top, is substantially equal to the length of the bottom section 10. Within the framework of this description, length in FIG. 7 is vthe lineal distance between the left and right sides of FIG. 7.

The top section 40 comprises a pair of side members 41 and 42 which are disposed on and extend from opposite sides of the medial portion 43. Said medial portion 43 forms the upper limits of the box or top closure thereof. Side members 41 and 42 are the same length as the medial portion or top closure 43 from which they are dened or delineated by parallel longitudinal lines of scoring and 66. Along said lines of scoring 65 and 66, said upper side members 41 and 42 are bent into substantially parallel planes which are perpendicular to the top closure 43, so that in essence the top box section 40 is nothing more or less than an open ended channel, U-shaped in cross section, as clearly illustrated in FIG. 2.

Substantially midway between the sides of the inner face of top closure 43 and extending transversely of the longitudinal axis thereof, a slat or cleat 44 is rigidly secured by means of suitable fasteners such as staples or the like 45, only some of which are numbered in the dra-wings. The length of the cleat 44 is sufficient to engage the opposite end portions thereof against the tops of cleats 24 and 25 when the container is closed. Said cleat 44 preferably is fabricated in the same way as the other cleats heretofore identified.

As illustrated in FIG. l, the ,extreme opposite end portions of the top cover 43 are adapted to'seat upon top rails 33 of the frame members 29and 30 when the container is closed.

Attention is now invited to the cleats which are substantially equivalent in two dimensions. The lengths thereof, however, in a given box construction, may vary slightly. Assuming 1" x 4 cleats, disposed in the ,positions illustrated in the drawings in FIGS. l-7, their lengths would be dependent upon the height of the box. However, the side cleats 31 and 32 would be one inch, lor the thickness of the cleats 34, shorter than the medially disposed cleats 24 and 25 because the side cleats 31 and 32 are disposed upon and extend upwardly from cleats 34 which space said side cleats 31 and 32 one inch (if the cleat 34 has a thickness of one inch) from the base or floor 13. Whereas, on the other hand, the bottoms of the cleats 24 and 25 are shown resting directly on the floor 13 by reason of which said cleats 24 and 25 have to be one inch, or the thickness of the cleat 34, longer than the side frame cleats 31 and 32 to raise the former to the same height as the latter.

AS clearly illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3, the height of the lower side members 11 and 12 and the upper side members 41 and 42 is such that the upper box section 40 overlaps the lower box section along overlapping edges 47 and 48 which extend longitudinally of the device. In the drawings, the upper edge portions of the lower side members 11 and 12 have been identitied by the numeral 47, and the lower edge portions of the upper side members 41 and 42 overlapping said upper edge portions 47 have been labeled by the numeral 48.

Along the side of the container comprised of members 11 and 41, as illustrated in FIG. l, the overlapped edges 47 and 48 are secured by suitable fasteners such as staples or the like 49, only some of which are identified by numerals in FIG. 1. The overlapping edges 47 and 48 on the other side of the container comprised of members 12 and 42 will be suitably secured upon completion of packing of the contents (not shown) which the container is to hold. Such securance may be by means of gummed tape or other facility well known to those skilled in the art.

In any event, after shipment of goods and after the fasteners or fastening means have been removed at least from the overlapping edges 47 and 48 of the sides 12 and 42, a rigid storage bin then remains, access to which is obtained by reverse and upwardly bending side member 42 from its normal closed container position.

Now attention is invited to the sheet of drawings bearing FIGS. 8, 9, 10 and ll which illustrate a modified embodiment of the invention. The modified embodiment compirses an upper container section generally designated by numeral 140, and a lower container section generally designated by the numeral 116. Best understanding of the box construction is had by referring to the blank or mat from which the same is constructed, and in this connection attention is invited to FIGS. 10 and 11. In FIGS. 1() and l1, the bottom mat or blank is illustrated. However, it is observed that the bottom and the top lmat are of substantially the same construction and of the same dimensions with the exception of those dilerences which will hereinafter be noted.

At the right side of FIG. l0 it is noted that a medial container section is designated as 111. Container section 111 is substantially rectangular, and from left to right of said section designates length. A pair of integral side aps or members 112 and 113, being the same length as the section 111, extends from opposite sides of said rectangular section 111. Said members 112 and 113 are delineated from section 111 by longitudinally extending parallel lines of scoring 132 and 133.

By bending the side members 112 and 113 upwardly with respect to FIG. l0 along lines 132 `and 133 into a position perpendicular to the plane ofthe medial container section 111, a pair of vertical side walls 112 and 113 is formed to which medial section 111 may be the oor or top closure, as will hereinafter be explained.

At its left end, the section 111 is integrally connected to a rectangular box section 114 which forms a container end face. The container end face is separated from the rectangular box section 111 by a line or" scoring 115 along which the container end face 114 is bent perpendicular to the section 111.

Disposed on opposite sides of the end face 114 is a pair of parallel opposed end flaps 116 and 117, the lineal dimension from left to right of which in FIG. l0 is the same as the similar dimension of the end face 114. The end liaps 116 and 117 are integral with the end face member 114 from which they respectively are delineated by parallel lines of scoring 11S and 119.

At their inner ends, the tiaps 116 and 117 are shown as abutting the inner ends of the side members 112 and 113 in FIG. l0 along lines designated as 120 and 121. However, by a suitable cutting tool such as a die or the like, the flaps 116 and 117 can be cut along said lines 120 and 121, respectively, to separate them from the side members 112 and 113. Thereafter, when the flaps 116 and 117 are bent or folded along the lines of scoring 118 and 119, respectively, and rotated to normal made up position, said flaps 116 and 117 will be disposed at right angles to the end face section 114 and be disposed in planes parallel to each other.

Along their entire outer edges, as seen in FIG. 10, the flaps 116 and 117 carry a pair of elongated cleats or slats 122 and 123 which are rigidly secured to said flaps 116 and 117, respectively, by means of fasteners such as staples or the like 124, only some of which have been numbered in the drawings.

A pair of cleats 125 and 126 is disposed parallel to each other on the outer surface of medial box section 111 to which said cleats 125 and 126 are connected by staples or the like 127, -only some of which are numbered in the drawings. The cleats 125 and 126 are disposed transversely of the longitudinal -axis of the medial box section 111, and the outer edge 128 of each is spaced from its respective end of said section 111 by a distance substantially the same as the distance between the inner ends 129 of the cleats 122 and 123 and the lines of scoring 118 and 119, respectively.

Accordingly, when the box is formed with the end face 114 in vertical position or vertical plane and the side flaps 116 and 117 at right angles thereto also in vertical position, the side flaps 116 and 117 will be disposed inwardly of the side sections 112 and 113, respectively. Cleats or slats 122 and 123 will then lie in a substantial plane common with cleat or slat 125 from the end portions of which the cleats 122 and 123 will extend vertically in a three-sided frame.

Top box section or container section is of substantially the same configuration as the bottom container section 110. In the drawings, however, they difer to the extent that upper outer cleats 225 and 226 are not the same thickness as the lower outer cleats 125 and 126. However, this detail is not critical to the invention, and said upper and lower outer cleats may be of the same or of dilering widths as desired. However, uniform blanks or mats are provided which are suitable for both the top sections 140 and the bottom sections 110 when the thickness of each of cleats 125, 126, 225 and 226 is the same as that of the others.

Now, after the top and bottom sections 140 and 110 are formed, they are assembled by positioning panel 111 of the top section 140 on top of the vertical side walls 112 and 113 of the bottom container section 110 in such a way that lines of scoring 132 and 133 in the top section 140 are disposed respectively along the edges 134 and 135 of the side walls 112 and 113 of the lower container section 110. Furthermore, the edge 136 (which in the bottom section 110 is the rear edge and in the top section 140 is the front edge) of the top member 140 is abutted against the inner surface of the line of scoring 137 along which the flap 138 of the lower section 110 is bent to overlap edge 136 of the upper section 140, as illustrated to the left of FIG. 8. The same arrangement occurs in the diagonally opposite corner. That is, the edge 136 of the lower section 110, which is only shown in dotted lines to the lower right of FIG. 8, will engage the line of scoring 137 of the upper container member 140.

The foregoing arrangement provides substantially two spaced apart rectangular frame-like members which rigidify the container in spaced apart parallel positions with one of said frame-like members comprised of cleats 122, 123 and 125 of the bottom container section 110, together with cleat 225 of the top container section 1411; and with the other of said framelike members comprised of cleats 122, 123 and 226 of the top container section 140 t-ogether with cleat 126 of the bottom section 110.

Now, the side members 112 and 113 extend vertically a length which is greater than one-half the vertical length of the cleats 122 and 123 Iwhen in the position of FIG. 8. Thereby, adjoining edge portions 147 and 148 of the bottom section 110 and the top section 140, respectively, may be overlapped in the manner illustrated in FIG. 9 with the lower edge portions 148 of the section 140 overlapping the upper edge portions 147 of the lower container section 110. Said overlapping edge portions 147 and 148 on one side of the device may be secured by suitable fasteners such as staples or the like 149, only some of which have been identified in FIG. 8. On the other side of the device, which is obscured in FIG. 8, the securance may be any suitable means including gummed tape and the like if desired which may be easily intentionally removed to unload a `loaded container.

With respect to the flaps 138 which will be on both ends of the container in diagonally opposed positions, such flaps 138 may be suitably sealed over the adjoining edges 136 if desired.

As previously indicated, FIGS. 8, 9 and ll disclose that cleats 125 and 126 are thicker than the cleats 225 and 226. -By reason of the foregoing, made up boxes may be stacked one upon the other and permit therebetween the entry of a forked carriage yof a conventional design when the cleats 225 and 226 are, for example, 1 x 4s and the lower cleats are,-for example, 2 x 4"s.

While the cleats herein referred to are illustrated as being fabricated from wood, and cretainly wood provides an exceedingly inexpensive material of good rigidity which will provide strength and desired other characteristics to the framework of la container, other suitable materials, such as thin metal bands, or cleats of varying physical characteristics, dependent upon the qualities desired to be imparted to the container, can be employed in the instant invention and should be considered the equivalent of the cleats herein shown.

It is further noted that corrugated board has been illustrated and designated as comprising the major fabric of the containers. Various changes and substitutions in that material can be made without departing from the invention, as the particular materials shown and described are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

As many substitutions or changes could be made in the above described construction, and as many apparently Iwidely different embodiments of the invention within the scope of the claims could be constructed without departing from the spirit `and scope there-of, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as being illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. An expendable depot pallet box having spaced and parallel top and bottom wall means, spaced and parallel end wall means, and spaced and parallel side wall means comprising, a first container section including a generally fiat bottom panel serving as the bottom wall means, an end panel disposed at right angles to said bottom panel and extending vertically therefrom, and a first pair of parallel side Wall partial panels disposed at right angles to said bottom and end panels and extending vertically from said bottom panel, said side wall partial panels having a vertical length substantially less than the vertical height of said end panel; a second container section positionable on said first container section including a generally flat top panel serving as the top wall means, and a second pair of side wall partial panels hingedly connected to respective opposite sides of said top panel and extending therefrom, each of said side wall partial panels of said second pair of side wall partial panels hingedly connected to said top panel extending from said top panel a distance less than the height of said end panel, each of said side wall partial panels of said second pair being movable so as to have an edge portion thereof overlapping an edge portion of a respective one of said side Wall partial panels of said first pair of side wall partial panels when said second container section is positioned on said first container section; and reinforcing means including a pair of spaced and parallel cleats fixedly secured with respect to said first container section, each of said cleats being disposed inwardly of a respective one of said first pair of side wall partial panels and having one end abutting said bottom panel and extending vertically from said bottom panel to a point adjacent said top panel when said second container section is positioned on said first container section, said reinforcing means further including a generally horizontally extending cleat rigidly secured to said top panel having each of its end portions in vertical alignment with a respective one of said vertically disposed cleats when said second container section is positioned on said first container section.

2. An expendable depot pallet box having spaced and parallel top and bottom wall means, spaced and parallel end Wall means, and spaced and parallel side wall means comprising, a first container section including a first substantially U-shaped member, the bight portion of said member being substantially flat and serving as the bottom wall means, and the legs of said first member serving as parts of the side wall means, said first container section further including a pair of end panels and a pair of generally rectangularly shaped-rigid frames, each of said end panels being rigidly fastened to a respective frame, each of said frames including a pair of vertically spaced and parallel, horizontally extending cleats, one of said cleats being rigidly fastened to the normally uppermost and inner surface of said bottom panel, each of said frames further including a pair of horizontally spaced and parallel, vertically extending cleats, each of said cleats being rigidly fastened to the normally inner surface of a respective one of said legs of said first U-shaped member, said vertically extending cleats having a vertical length substantially greater than the height of said legs whereby the free edges of said legs are disposed intermediate the ends of said vertically extending cleats; a second container section positionable on said first container section including an inverted second substantially U-shaped member, the bight portion of said second member serving as the top wall means, and the legs of said second member being hingedly connected t-o respective opposite sides of said top panel and extending therefrom, -said legs of said second member extending from said top panel a distance substantially less than the height of said end panels and each of said legs of said second member being movable to a position wherein it extends vertically with respect to said top panel and has an edge portion capable of overlapping an edge portion of a respective one of said legs of said first member when said second container section is positioned on said first container section; and reinforcing means including a pair of spaced and parallel cleats fixedly secured to the normally innermost surfaces of the legs of said first member, said cleats being spaced intermediate said end panels and having an end abutting said bottom panel and extending vertically from said bottom panel, said vertically extending cleats having a length substantially equal to the length of said vertically extending cleats of said frames, said reinforcing means further including a generally horizontally extending cleat rigidly fastened to the normally lowermost and inner surface of said top panel, said horizontally extending cleats having each of its end portions in abutting engagement with an end of a respective one of said vertically disposed cleats spaced intermediate said frames when said second container section is positioned on said first container section.

3. An expendable depot pallet box as set forth in claim 2, wherein said first and second U-shaped members are made of corrugated cardboard.

4. An expendable depot pallet box having spaced and parallel top and bottom wall means, spaced and parallel end wall means, and spaced and parallel side wall means comprising, a first container section and a second container section positionable on said first container section, said first and second container sections being substantially mirror images of each other, said first container section including a generally fiat bottom panel serving as the bottom wall means, an end panel integrally formed with said bottom panel and extending vertically therefrom,

said first container section further including a pair of parallel side wall partial panels integrally formed with said bottom panel and extending vertically therefrom, said side wall partial panels having a height substantially less than the height yof said end panel, said second container section including a generally at top panel serving as the top wall means, and an end panel integrally formed with said top panel and being spaced and parallel to said end panel of said rst container section when said second container section is positioned on said Iirst container section, said second container section further including a pair of parallel side wall partial panels disposed substantially at right angles to said top panel and depending vertically therefrom, said side Wall partial panels of said second container section having a vertical length less than the height of said end panel of said second container section, each of said side wall partial panels of said second container section having an edge portion capable of overlapping an edge portion of a respective one of said side wall partial panels of said first container section when said second container section is positioned on said rst container section, and a pair of spaced and parallel reinforcing means, each of said reinforcing means includes a generally horizontally extending cleat rigidly secured to the normally lowermost, outer surface of said bottom panel and a generally horizontally extending cleat rigidly fastened to the normally uppermost, outer surface of said top panel, said horizontally extending cleats being in vertical alignment, one of said reinforcing means further including a pair of vertically extending substantially parallel cleats, each of said vertically extending cleats being rigidly secured to the normally inner surface of a respective one of said side Wall partial panels of said first container section, each of said vertically extending cleats having its respective ends abutting said top and bottom panels when said second container section is positioned on said lirst container section, each of said vertically extending cleats further being in -vertical alignment with a respective end portion of each of said horizontally extending cleats, the other of said reinforcing means further including a pair of vertically extending spaced and parallel cleats, each of said vertically extending cleats of said other of said reinforcing means being rigidly fastened to the normally inner surface of a respective one of said side wall partial panels of said second container section, each of said 'vertically extending cleats of said other of said reinforcing means having its respective ends abutting said top and bottom panels when said second container section is positioned on said first container section, each of said vertically extending cleats of said other of said reinforcing means further being in vertical alignment with a respective end portion of each of said horizontally extending cleats of said other of said reinforcing means when said second container section is positioned on said lirst container section.

5. An expendable depot pallet box as set forth in claim 4, wherein said top, bottom, end, and side Wall partial panels of said iirst and second container sections are made of corrugated cardboard.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,646,670 10/ 1927 Walter 229-23 2,039,859 5 1936 Watkins l229-23 X 2,071,962 2/ 1937 Babcock 217-12 2,262,267 11/ 1941 Boeye 229-23 2,345,350 3/ 1944 Markwardt et al 229--23 2,361,937 11/ 1944 Gonderd 229-2-3 X 2,389,890 11/1945 Borah 229-23 FOREIGN PATENTS 460,802 2/ 1937 Great Britain.

GEORGE O. RALSTON, Primary Examiner. FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Examiner. 

1. AN EXPENDABLE DEPOT PALLET BOX HAVING SPACED AND PARALLEL TOP AND BOTTOM WALL MEANS, SPACED AND PARALLEL END WALL MEANS, AND SPACED AND PARALLEL SIDE WALL MEANS COMPRISING, A FIRST CONTAINER SECTION INCLUDING A GENERALLY FLAT BOTTOM PANEL SERVING AS THE BOTTOM WALL MEANS, AN END PANEL DISPOSED AT RIGHT ANGLES TO SAID BOTTOM PANEL AND EXTENDING VERTICALLY THEREFROM, AND A FIRST PAIR OF PARALLEL SIDE WALL PARTIAL PANELS DISPOSED AT RIGHT ANGLES TO SAID BOTTOM AND END PANELS AND EXTENDING VERTICALLY FROM SAID BOTTOM PANEL, SAID SIDE WALL PARTIAL PANELS HAVING A VERTICAL LENGTH SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THE VERTICAL HEIGHT OF SAID END PANEL; A SECOND CONTAINER SECTION POSITIONABLE ON SAID FIRST CONTAINER SECTION INCLUDING A GENERALLY FLAT TOP PANEL SERVING AS THE TOP WALL MEANS, AND A SECOND PAIR OF SIDE WALL PARTIAL PANELS HINDGEDLY CONNECTED TO RESPECTIVE OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID TOP PANEL AND EXTENDING THEREFROM, EACH OF SAID SIDE WALL PARTIAL PANELS OF SAID SECOND PAIR OF SIDE WALL PARTIAL PANELS HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO SAID TOP PANEL EXTENDING FROM SAID TOP PANEL A DISTANCE LESS THAN THE HEIGHT OF SAID END PANEL, EACH OF SAID SIDE WALL PARTIAL PANELS OF SAID SECOND PAIR BEING MOVABLE SO AS TO HAVE AN EDGE PORTION THEREOF OVERLAPPING AN EDGE PORTION OF A RESPECTIVE ONE OF SAID WALL PARTIAL PANELS OF SAID FIRST PAIR OF SIDE WALL PARTIAL PANELS WHEN SAID SECOND CONTAINER SECTION IS POSITIONED ON SAID FIRST CONTAINER SECTION; AND REINFORCING MEANS INCLUDING A PAIR OF SPACED AND PARALLEL CLEATS FIXEDLY SECURED WITH RESPECT TO SAID FIRST CONTAINER SECTION, EACH OF SAID CLEATS BEING DISPOSED INWARDLY OF A RESPECTIVE ONE OF SAID FIRST PAIR OF SIDE WALL PARTIAL PANELS AND HAVING ONE END ABUTTING SAID BOTTOM PANEL AND EXTENDING VERTICALLY FROM SAID BOTTOM PANEL TO A POINT ADJACENT SAID TOP PANEL WHEN SAID SECOND CONTAINER SECTION IS POSITIONED ON SAID FIRST CONTAINER SECTION, SAID REINFORCING MEANS FURTHER INCLUDING A GENERALLY HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING CLEAT RIGIDLY SECURED TO SAID TOP PANEL HAVING EACH OF ITS END PORTIONS IN VERTICAL ALIGNMENT WIH A RESPECTIVE ONE OF SAID VERTIACALLY DISPOSED CLEATS WHEN SAID SECOND CONTAINER SECTION IS POSITIONED ON SAID FIRST CONTAINER SECTION. 